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Hans India
38 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Under Stree Shakti Scheme, free travel facility for women in five categories of buses from Aug 15
Vijayawada: The state government on Monday issued G.O. for 'Stree Shakti Scheme' under which free bus travel for women will be provided for women from August 15 in five categories of buses of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and AP Public Transport Department (APPTD) across the state. Kantilal Dande, Principal Secretary, Transport, Roads & Buildings Department, issued the orders in this regard. He instructed the Commissioner, Public Transport Department, and Managing Director, APSRTC, Vijayawada to take immediate further action for effective implementation of the 'Stree Shakti Scheme' accordingly. As per the G.O. No. 27, all girls, women and transgender individuals domiciled in Andhra Pradesh, subject to the production of valid identity proof, will be the beneficiaries of the scheme. The government has declared that the scheme would be launched with the existing fleet; and, depending on the requirement and response. New additional buses would be procured and introduced for the convenience of passengers, it said. The scheme will be implemented only in certain types of services i.e. Pallevelugu, Ultra Pallevelugu, City Ordinary, Metro Express and Express services. The scheme is not applicable to all non-stop services, interstate services of any category and contract carriage services, chartered services and package tours. The order stated that the scheme is not applicable to Saptagiri Express, Ultra Deluxe, Super Luxury, Star Liner and all AC products. The eligible women are permitted to travel in enclave route services for free. The state government shall reimburse the expenditure to APSRTC based on the claim of zero fare tickets. Security of the women passengers shall be a priority. Towards this end, the authorities may consider the supply of body-worn cameras to all women conductors and installation of CC cameras. Public amenities like provision of fans, chairs, drinking water and toilet facilities will be improved in all bus stations. Recently, the state Cabinet gave its nod for implementation of the scheme. Free travel facility for women in APSRTC buses is one of the election promises of the coalition parties and women are eagerly waiting for its implementation in the state.
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
YSRCP slams free bus scheme as ‘fraud on women'
VIJAYAWADA: The coalition government's so-called free bus travel scheme is nothing more than a ''blatant scam designed to deceive women'', alleged YSRCP State official spokesperson Putha Siva Shankar Reddy. At a press meet at the party's central office at Tadepalli near here on Monday, he accused the government of imposing ''conditions that run counter to the pre-poll promises made by Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, and Nara Lokesh who had assured women of seamless, cost-free journeys across Andhra Pradesh, including to pilgrimage destinations''. Mr. Reddy said the scheme covers only five bus categories — Palle Velugu, Ultra Palle Velugu, City Ordinary, Express, and Metro Express — while excluding non-stop, inter-State services, Saptagiri Express, Ultra Deluxe, Super Luxury, Star Liner, and all AC buses. 'With such limitations, how can women visit Tirumala without multiple bus changes and days of travel?' he asked, adding that the plan is impractical for long-distance and inter-district journeys. Despite having 15 months to prepare, the scheme falls short of successful models in Karnataka and Telangana, Reddy said, calling it evidence of the government's incompetence and intent to 'cheat women rather than empower them.' He challenged Transport Minister Ramprasad Reddy to explain 'how many bus changes and days it would take to travel from Srikakulam to Tirupati under these rules.' He criticised the government for ''targeting the Sakshi media group for exposing'', what he called, 'this fraud.' Mr. Reddy urged women to recognise the betrayal, warning that 'true welfare means unrestricted access, not hollow promises crafted to fail.'
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- The Hindu
A.P. govt. issues order providing free bus travel for women in State from August 15
The Andhra Pradesh government on August 11, Monday, issued a Government Order, G.O. Ms. No. 27, for the implementation of free bus travel scheme for women from August 15 in five categories of the A.P. State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) across the State. The scheme, officially named 'Stree Shakti', will be available to all girls, women and transgender persons, whose domicile status is A.P. Beneficiaries have to produce valid identity proof. All eligible women will be given zero fare tickets, the expenditure of which would be later reimbursed by the government to the APSRTC based on the claim. The scheme would be launched with the existing fleet only, and additional buses would be procured and introduced depending on the requirement and response, according to the GO. The scheme will be implemented in services including Pallevelugu, Ultra Pallevelugu, City Ordinary, Metro Express and Express services and is not applicable for non-stop services, inter-State services of any category, contract carriage services, chartered services and package tours. It is also not applicable for Saptagiri Express, Ultra Deluxe, Super Luxury, Star Liner and all AC buses. The extension of the scheme to electric buses is subject to the Cabinet approval, according to the G.O. With regard to ensuring safety of women passengers, the government is also contemplating supplying body-worn cameras to all women conductors and installing CC cameras on buses. The order, issued by the Transport Department Principal Secretary Kantilal Dande, directs the department Commissioner and APSRTC Managing Director to take further action towards the implementation of the scheme.
New Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
APSRTC free travel for women across state up to Express buses
GUNTUR: The APSRTC will implement the free bus travel scheme for women across all districts without any route restrictions, covering services such as Palle Velugu, Ultra Palle Velugu, Express, Metro Express, and City Ordinary, though formal GO in this regard is still awaited, said Managing Director Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao. Speaking at a review meeting of Nellore Zone RTC depot managers on Wednesday, said the free bus travel scheme reflects the government's commitment to women's empowerment. The scheme will be implemented from August 15, using existing RTC buses and personnel. RTC officials should take measures to ensure smooth implementation of the free travel scheme, he said. State, Central IDs valid for free travel Drivers and conductors, particularly in the light of expected high volume of female passengers in the initial days of the scheme, should behave courteously. A Zone 2 coordination meeting will be held on July 31 to ensure seamless implementation of the scheme, he said. About 1,050 new buses will soon be inducted, and that 1,500-2,000 diesel buses will be replaced per annum with electric buses as per Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's vision, he said. APSRTC Chairman Konakalla Narayana said, 'We are fully prepared to implement the NDA election promise. Women will soon be able to travel from any point to any destination within the State with just a valid Central or State government-issued ID card. This scheme will bring significant change to women's lives in Andhra Pradesh. The scheme is exclusively for women residing in the State.' RTC Zonal Chairman Suresh Reddy condemned unnecessary criticism from opposition parties, saying, 'They didn't even lay roads in the past. We studied how similar schemes are implemented in other States and are now committed to enforcing it robustly.'
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
APSRTC MD inspects newly designed bus body
Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on Tuesday inspected a new City Ordinary bus body, built on an experimental design under the supervision of the zonal workshop in Vijayawada. The new city bus was brought to the APSRTC head office for inspection. Mr. Tirumala Rao examined the materials used, painting quality, seating comfort, cost of manufacturing and other key aspects. He inquired with the officials about all technical and financial aspects related to the new bus body. Taking a close look at the passenger seats, windows, steps for boarding and alighting and tyre quality to see if they were appropriately designed and met operational standards, he also gathered full technical and operational information from the works manager, engineers and staff. He then instructed the officials to conduct a feasibility study and submit a detailed report on the resources and possibilities for replicating the new manufacturing technique at other zonal workshops across the State. He congratulated the employees, supervisors and the works manager who contributed to the bus body construction. Mr. Tirumala Rao was accompanied by the corporation's Executive Director (Admin) G.V. Ravi Varma, Executive Director (Operations) A. Appalaraju, Vijayawada Zone Executive Director G. Vijayaratnam, NTR District Public Transport Officer M.Y. Danam and Chief Mechanical Engineer (Maintenance) G. Nageswara Rao along with other senior officials.
